Brotherly Love
by cag45
Summary: I'd like to recognize the songwriters Tim Nichols and James Johnston Stewart who actually wrote the song featured in this story. I "borrowed" the song and credited the fictional character Daniel McFadden as the writer. I do not own the rights to the song or the characters in this story. I urge you to look up this song's video on youtube It's Crane and Daniel in a nutshell.


Brotherly Love

1991

Crane McFadden rushed to answer the phone. It was ringing off the hook. _Who needs to talk to us this bad? I hope nothing's wrong with any of the family. _He thought as he rushed down the hallway.

He had his hands full trying to bathe his son. Molly was off on a vet emergency leaving Crane to deal with the dishes and the kids' baths. Crane didn't mind, of course. He loved his kids. He had already managed to put baby Danielle down for the night but he had his hands full with his four year old son.

Carson was a high spirited, overactive child. He had energy for days and Crane couldn't help but wonder how in the world he and his wife would ever be able to keep the boy under control as he grew up. The boy reminded Crane so much of his younger brothers. He looked a little like Guthrie, but he was a ball of energy like Evan and Daniel. In fact, Crane had often thought back to when those two were the age of his son. He figured if you could've combined the energy levels of Evan and Daniel, it'd come close to Carson. A thought that always made him smile.

Crane was just finishing up giving his son a bath and trying desperately to get him to hold still long enough to dry off. The phone must've rang twelve times or maybe more as Crane hurried to scoop up little Carson, wrap him in a towel and hurry to the phone.

"Hello?" Crane answered apprehensively. He was afraid something bad had happened for a person to let it ring that many times.

"Hey brother, how's it going?" Daniel replied on the other end.

"Danny, is everything alright?" Crane asked worriedly.

"Yeah, all's good grandma." Daniel replied, laughing. "You just go out of you way to borrow trouble, don't ya?"

"Come on, give me a break. It's just... well you let it ring so many times, I was afraid...Never mind Danny, what's up? Crane said, giving up on trying to defend himself to Daniel.

"Look, I wanted to make sure you don't miss the Grand Ole Opry on TV tonight!" Daniel said excitedly.

"Why, are you on it?" Crane asked excitedly.

"Nah, I wish." Daniel replied. "But, I _do_ have a song being performed on it and I really want you to hear it. It's kind of special to me."

"Which one is it? You'll have to be specific. You've got four songs on the charts right now." Crane laughed.

"It hasn't charted yet. It's being released on radio next week." He explained.

Daniel had been living in Nashville for six years now. He had moved there, like so many others, with nothing more than the clothes on his back and a dream in his heart. After his band disbanded Daniel decided it was time to go for it. He was tired of playing in the local dives that surrounded Murphys California. Knowing full well that his dream was to be a country music singer and songwriter, Daniel had known that he had to make a go of it in the Country Music capital of the world... Nashville, Tennessee.

He had certainly gone through some rough times. McFadden pride would not let him tell his family how hard it had been. The family learned much later that there were times that he didn't even have a place to live because he couldn't afford the rent. For the better part of three months in 1986 he had lived out of his car.

But by the end of 1987, he was finally becoming financially stable, even if it was working as a mechanic in an auto shop rather than on the stage, at least he could afford rent and a car note. That auto shop is where a chance encounter had changed his life. He met the girl who would one day become his wife.

He had instantly been attracted to her the moment she walked in. After chatting with her about her car for a few moments Daniel had asked her out. When she accepted without hesitation, he _knew _he was done for.

Her name was Julie and she just happened to be a waitress at the famed Blue Bird Cafe. After a couple of dates, Julie had told the club's owner about her new _boyfriend._ Aspiring singer/songwriters waited on long lists to get an opportunity to play at the Blue Bird. It was a regular haunt of record producers and other industry big wigs. Numerous recording artists had been discovered there. It hadn't taken Julie very long to persuade the owner to give Daniel a shot.

After his first performance had gone well, Daniel had been invited back to do thirty minute sessions ever other Tuesday night. It was a dream come true for Daniel. Having a platform to perform his own original songs for enthusiastic audiences that included tourists, other artists and industry movers and shakers was just too good to be true.

On his fourth night, he had been approached by an executive from BMI, a company that negotiates license agreements on behalf of songwriters, composers and music publishers and distributes royalties to those members whose works have been performed by recording artists. A week later, Daniel had signed a contract with the company and his career as a songwriter had taken off from there.

Now, four years later Daniel was one of the most successful songwriters at BMI. Last year he had been named BMI's songwriter of the year and had even won a grammy award as a songwriter. He and Julie were married now and they had a son. Crane and Molly and their children had recently gone to Nashville to visit Daniel and Julie, and there two year old, Daniel, Jr. They called him DJ.

The couple had bought a ranch just north of Nashville in Kingston Springs, Tennessee. It wasn't nearly as big as the McFadden spread in California but it didn't need to be. Daniel had no interest in putting cattle on it. He opted for horses instead. It was quaint and beautiful. They had built a modest four bedroom ranch house on the property and things were looking really prosperous for the young family with Daniel carving out such a lucrative career at BMI.

Though Crane hadn't asked Daniel outright, he was fairly certain that his brother was only a few hit songs away from reaching millionaire status. The royalty checks had been steadily rolling in. In four short years, Daniel had penned twelve number one hits for other artists and another six that were top ten hits and while he hadn't realized his dream of being a recording artist himself, it wasn't because he hadn't had the opportunity. He had actually turned down a recording contract with RCA because he and Julie wanted a big family and didn't want to raise them on the road in a Silver Eagle bus. They wanted a stable home life for their family.

So hearing him say "I wish" in reference to performing on the Opry, Crane worried that his little brother was second guessing his decision.

"Hey, you're still happy with your career path aren't you? I mean, you're not rethinking everything now are you?" Crane asked worriedly. He had set Carson down and let him run off to his room. The kid had been fidgeting and writhing in Crane's arms the entire time he'd been on the phone and Crane decided he'd rather let him run around naked in the house rather than fight with him any longer. And he had no desire to rush Daniel off the phone. He missed his best friend and relished any opportunity he got to talk to his busy, successful brother.

"Yes Crane, I didn't mean anything by that. I'm making music and providing for my family at the same time. I'm perfectly content. I just meant that... well this song is pretty special and I'd love to be singing it myself, just because of what it means to me." Daniel explained. "Anyway, the show is on in an hour and I want you to watch for Keith Whitley and Earl Thomas Conley to perform. They're singing it as a duet."

"Okay, what's the name of the song?" Crane asked, genuinely interested.

"It's a surprise. I've told you all you need to know right now. Look, I've gotta go. I may give Hannah and Adam a call and ask them to tune in too." Daniel said, suddenly seeming in a rush.

"Okay, hey..." Crane said, suddenly sounding solemn. "I love you, bud."

"I love you too Crane." Daniel said softly. Then with a quick goodbye the call disconnected.

It was only about twenty minutes into the show when the duo of Keith Whitley and Earl Thomas Conley was announced. Crane reached over and quickly turned up the volume. He was curious to hear this. After all, even as close as he and Daniel were and as many songs as they had written together in their lives, songwriting had become such a big business to Daniel that he rarely made a big thing out of a new song coming out. All the more reason for Crane to be intrigued. He listened intently as the song began:

Keith Whitley

We shared the same last name and the same color eyes

But we fought like tigers; over one ol' red bike

I'm battin' first and you can't use my glove

It wouldn't take long until push came to shove

But we looked out for each other with brotherly love

Earl Thomas Conley

You hated girls til I had my first date

I brought her home from the movies

You stayed up late

We were three on the couch watchin' TV

I was smilin' at her while you were laughin' at me

But we had somethin' special: brotherly love

Chorus

There's a bond that brothers know

And it gets stronger as they grow

A bond that time and miles can't come between

We disagree but in the end

There will never be two closer friends

And brotherly love is somethin' we all need

Keith

They share the same last name

And the same color eyes

And they fight like tigers over that ol' red bike

Earl

And lookin' at them reminds me of us

They're gonna fight and they're gonna fuss

But they'll look out for each other with brotherly love

Crane couldn't have stopped the tears from falling even if he'd wanted to. This was the most perfect song Daniel had ever written. Crane knew why it was so special to his little brotherl. It was about their relationship... and the future relationship he knew Daniel secretly hoped Carson and DJ would share. Crane sat on the couch in front of the TV for the better part of an hour, volume muted just thinking back and remembering their years of growing up together. Laughter mixing in with the tears. Carson had finally fallen asleep in his lap. Crane stared at his son as he stroked his golden hair. He loved that boy with all his heart. But, there had been another little boy in his life that had tugged just as much at his heart strings from the day his parents' brought him home from the hospital. And that kid had grown up and made Crane very proud and tonight, he had shared the greatest gift in the world with him. Brotherly Love.

the end


End file.
